The Night of the Headless Horseman
by Sparkling Lover
Summary: A short fic about an encounter with the most infamous Halloween character of all time. Rated M for blood and a decapitated head and scary images and sequences. No flames.


**(Hey everyone. Okay, I have to admit it and I know some of you might agree with me, The Legand Of Sleepy Hollow is probably the best Halloween tale of all time. I just can't help but read a copy of the story or listen to an audio recording of it during the month of October. It really is that memorable. And to show my honor for this famous ghost story, here is a story that tells of a young girl who has a scary, and terrifying encounter with the Spector. Annabelle and her horse, Isis belong to me. I do not own the Headless Horseman.)**

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><p><span><strong>The Night of the Headless Horseman<strong>

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><p>Cool winds blew through the branches of the trees, and the leaves flew amongst the swirling air. The smell of the nearby swamps and dead leaves came to the nostrils of Isis, the black quarter horse, belonging to Annabelle, a young teenager who had thought a ride through the forest in the evening would soothe her mind from the all the work from the farm. It had been a tiring day, gathering eggs, feeding the swine, and pitching the hay for the cows and mules. In all essence, this was a break that she was awaiting for all day.<p>

"This is perfect, Isis. Nothing but the sky, the wind in your face. This is what it's all about, to feel free." Annabelle said to her horse as she made the horse go quicker, literally pushing themselves against the earths breath. A high whinny from Isis joined with the shrill cries of the robins and finches that flew out of the equines path. Small tears trickled from Annabelle's eyes from the wind hitting her eyes, but she had a smile on her bright face, for free time was all she enjoyed, for free time was earned from hard work.

However, the excitement from the winds and the gentle warm rays of the setting sun seemed to put her in a trace, for her mind was no longer focused on how late it was getting, and that would come to haunt her on this night, and many of her dreams.

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><p>"Why didn't I look at my watch when I had the chance. It's already night out." Annabelle said to herself as she and Isis began the ride home, but it was very late into the night as they went, and the road seem too long to the teens point of view. That's when she noticed the forest along the side of the road. "Maybe we can take a short cut. Come on, Isis."<p>

The horse nickered and headed into the path that led into the wooded area. The branches from the trees seamed to reach out to Annabelle, softly grazing her jacket like long, bony fingers. "Ooh, keep your hands to yourself, Oak." she joked as she moved the long branches away from her as she and her steed went further into the wood. "Hmm, it's very hard to see through here, Isis. At least you can smell and hear whats around here. All I got are my eyes." she said to Isis. Even though it seemed strange, Annabelle found that talking to Isis was a great excuse for her to talk to herself, since the horse never complained. Isis then lifted her head and stopped in her tracks.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Annabelle said and tried to see what was in front of them. But, the reason the horse stopped was due to an odor that she seamed to smell instead of Annabelle. The creature suddenly lowered her ears and backed up. "Hey, it's alright girl. I'm right here. There wis nothing to be scared of." Annabelle cooed and patted the horse's black neck in hopes of calming it down, which it did, just a little.

The eerie sounds of the night animals called out from parts unknown. The distant howls of dogs, the cries of the screech owls, and the croaks of the frogs and toads brought a symphony of the spooky night. The serenade soon came to Annabelle's mind, for she remembered a ghost story she had heard when she was a little girl. It was about a ghost of a rider on a large, black stallion and the rider was headless, carrying its own head, chasing unlucky victims to their doom.

"That's only a story. Just a tale from a long time ago. It's not real." the girl told herself over and over as she and her stead went farther and father into the woods.

_Annabelle_

The sudden whisper caught her off guard as Annabelle looked around, trying to find who had spoken to her. No one was around except her and Isis. "I'm just hearing things." Annabelle shook her head in hopes of calming herself down.

_Annabelle_

"That wasn't my imagination." Annabelle shook as Isis halted to a stop, and Annabelle swore that she could actually feel the horse tremble underneath her. Annabelle turned her head slowly to the front and...

A great, icy chill went down her back. Cold sweat came flushing to her body like a oncoming rainstorm. Her eyes locked onto the sight that was present before her gaze, like a deer in headlights.

Out in the clearing, a figure on top of a very large horse stood in front of them. But, what got Annabelle's attention was the fact that the rider had...NO HEAD.

"Wait a minute. It's probably a joke. It's Halloween after all and he or she must have been waiting for a person to scare with his or her little trick. I'm sure that it's just a costume that covered up his or her head." Annabelle whispered, but her words of choice didn't seem to make things any better.

"Sir, or Miss, I see you are playing a trick. You can go ahead and tell me. You did a good scare."

No reply.

"Hey, it's okay. I already got scared. You can cut the joke now."

No reply.

Annabelle was getting pretty annoyed that this person would not answer her. She urged her horse forward with some difficulty since Isis was showing signs of fear, but she manage to get herself close enough to look over this person. The person was tall and had a strong figure, and was dressed in old fashioned revolutionary war attire but it was all black, and had a long flowing cloak. The horse was exceedingly large and taller than any breed of horse Annabelle had ever seen. In fact, it almost resembled a Shire, one of the largest breeds in the world, but instead of being colored brown with white markings it was solid black.

"Sir, are you alright?" Annabelle asked, but that would be the last question she would ask. A quiet, subtle groan came to her ears and it was coming from the saddle. Straining her eyes, Annabelle could make out a round object. The subtle groaning soon stopped and the air became strangely quiet and silent, silent as death.

The full moon above soon appeared from its hold from the clouds in the sky, bringing a light source to Annabelle, but the light revealed a frightful sight. Annabelle couldn't move her mouth or eyes. The object, in the light of the moon...was a severed head, a pool of dark red blood dripping from its mouth, and its eyes rolled back into the head. This was not a prank. That was a real head, a real severed head dripping blood. That's when the groaning came back, and it resonated from the mouth of the head. "Annabelle...Annabelle." it croaked.

With a sharp gasp, Annabelle backed her horse away, and watched as the headless rider kicked at the side of the giant horse. The stallions eyes sprang open, its iris's a deep red, and it reared up and opened its mouth, revealing a set of canine teeth.

With a shriek of terror, Annabelle kicked at Isis, but the horse didn't need a command to tell her that it was time to go. The mare sprinted away from the monster at rapid speed, but the horseman ran after them, the giant horse's hooves shaking the ground like an earthquake as it chased after them. "GO! GO! GO ISIS! FASTER!" Annabelle screamed frantically as she held onto the reins, her instincts taking over her mind. It told her to flee or else she would lose her head, literally.

Onward and onward, faster and faster they went, the headless horseman still behind them. That's when Annabelle heard the sound of a sharp object being removed from its protective casing. She briefly turned and saw the horseman pull out a long sharp blade, covered in blood. Not only did the sound of the sword come to her ears, but also the sound of the giant stallions jaws. It was trying to bite at her horse, its canine teeth clashing together like a piranha's.

Isis managed to kick at the black monster horse's face and slow down the horseman's pace. "Good girl! Good girl!" Annabelle patted her steeds neck but she didn't lose focus. She needed to get out of the forest and back to the farm...Now. As Isis ran faster and faster than she did in her life, Annabelle could see the form of a white bridge up ahead. That's when it came to her. In the story, the ghost could not cross it. If she could get to the bridge and cross it she would be safe.

The giant horse was soon back, but now it was in front of them, rearing up and neighing loudly in a demonic cry, and the rider stood in its stirrups and tried to slash at Annabelle's head, but the teen managed to turn her horse away just in time. Annabelle had to find another way to the bridge, since it was now blocked away by the horseman. The headless ghost and its steed were soon chasing after them again, the swish of the blade nearly coming in contact to Annabelle's neck and the chomping of the stallion's teeth close to its mark on the hindquarters of Isis, but the team manage to keep a good distance away, until at last they got back on the path to the white bridge.

Annabelle kicked at her horse's sides once more and the horse sprinted down the bridge, the sound of the wood clipping and clopping underneath them. Just as she hoped, the headless horseman halted and stopped in its tracks. Annabelle soon saw the clear path to the farm and halted her horse once more to see the headless horseman. But that was the worst decision she ever made.

All her eyes saw coming at her was the decapitated head, screaming loud and hard, blood dripping in its mouth and its eyes now glowing bright yellow. The horseman had tossed its own head at her...and it hit her, sending the girl hurdling down her horse and to the ground...in a dead faint.

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><p>Isis's breath and fur brushed against her forehead as Annabelle came to her senses and awoke. Her head was spinning maddeningly as she tried to rise. "Oh, my head. Isis. You're still here. <em>I'm<em> still here. But how?" she said to herself as she managed to keep herself balanced. That's when she saw the white bridge.

She quickly ran to it and looked it over. The only thing she saw were her horses hoof prints. Nothing else.

If the headless horseman didn't chase them...what did? Was it a dream? A nightmare? Annabelle never found the answer, and still hasn't 'till this very day.

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><p><strong>(That was thrilling, wasn't it? I guess Annabelle will never figure out if the chase did happen or not. That is up for you to decide. So, how did you like it? Please let me know in the comments, but please be nice about it. Sparkling Lover out. Happy Halloween.)<strong>


End file.
